Boarding schools allowed to exclude pupils over unpaid fees

Nqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has given boarding schools the greenlight to send away pupils whose fees would not have been paid in full at the beginning of each school term. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Sylvia Utete-Masango, said boarding schools are expensive to run and parents should meet their obligations before children can be allowed into class.

Utete-Masango said only day schools can allow parents to pay fees in tranches but there should be no payment plans for those in boarding schools as everything must be paid all at once. She said fees should be paid in full before a child is sent to a boarding school.

“They’ve to pay because a boarding school is a choice. I can decide as a parent that I don’t want my child to go to a day school but a boarding school. At a boarding school you must pay because they (children) must be fed and there are a lot of administrative costs that are incurred as well. The parent should be made to pay when they send their child to a boarding school,” she said.

Utete-Masango said those who cannot afford once-off payments should send their children to day schools where payment plans are accepted. “At a day school that’s where we’re saying there can be a payment plan. “If they’re having challenges they can then discuss with the school and come up with a payment plan. The school will then accommodate that,” said Utete-Masango.

She said the position had been communicated to schools as well as parents. Utete-Masango said this was not in violation of the Constitutional right to education as there is always a choice in day schools.

Previously, the government said schools should not chase away pupils but should deal with parents who would not have paid fees.

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But you must take note the economic hardships which are being faced.Not to take on sides but things are hard and money nowadays is hard to come by.It is just a point before taking that decision.Education is for everyone and it is a right just like a right to a family.

zene

The case with a boarding school is that the child has to be fed. the pupils should pay boarding fees first to cater for their meals

Ghost of Sparta

Then you have a right to go to a day school.

vusumuzi dube

the problem with our government is that people just wake up with decisions and rush to the press without analysing their impact. can the so called day schools accomodate all the pupils that will come out of the boarding system, what is the pass rate from these schools, how do you expect the parents to pay the fees in full when they dont have salaries and or employment, are we now going back to the days where only the children of the affluent afford the best education pliz give a thought for the poor who also need to educate their children

Ras Makate (Mutunhu une Mago)

The Perm Sec is at last talking a lot of sense here, and at last they appear to have come to their senses and realised that their cheap politicking is killing our education, us parents who scrimp and save for boarding fees are being forced to subsidise the children of those non-payer parents. As a result of their previous politicking stances the standard of living in boarding schools has taken a nose-dive and the kids in boarding survive on the very very basics because usually it is only 30% who bother to pay anything at all, the 30% that is shared by all, no wonder children in government schools now fail more than day scholars. Bayalamba abantwana ! The Perm Sec here has remained silent on the BIG LIE called BEAM with its false promises of “we will pay” and children are admitted to boarding on that false promise when the Dept of Social services fully well know that their BEAM falsehood doesnt even hold a single cent or bond coin in their coffers……… They are also destroying the standards of living in boarding schools because their “beneficiaries” are forced onto schools where again those parents who are able to pay end up subsidising others….. Thanks Perm Sec, but you have only done a fraction of the job here, tackle the Social Services and their baby BEAM

marijata

look at a situation where boading fees is at $640,and the schools are opening on the 13th of the month,whats wrong with sending the kid with half of that amount and then pay the balance after 12days,u mean that 320 is not enough to cover for 12days,ZIKA virus is now suspicious in some people